Device for operating the points of electrical toy or model railways, using permanent magnets



June 13,1961 0. GOTHE 2,988,635

DEVICE FOR OPERATING THE POINTS OF ELECTRICAL TOY OR MODEL RAILWAYS,USING PERMANENT MAGNETS Filed July 3, 1957 United States Patent DEVICEFOR OPERATING THE POINTS OF ELEC- TRICAL TOY 0R MODEL RAILWAYS, USINGPERMANENT MAGNETS Otto Gothe, Lobberich, Niederrhein, Germany, assignorto Rokal G.m.b.H., Lobberich, Niederrhein, Germany Filed July 3, 1957,Ser. No. 669,877 3 Claims. (Cl. 246-240) The invention is concerned witha device having a permanent magnet, rotatably arranged between two ironpoles, for operating the points of electrical toy or model railways.

Operating means of this type are known which are equipped with pawlmeans or the like of the over dead center or rocking type which areactuated by electro magnetic driving means, in the form of so-calledswing switching mechanisms, by way of a lever system. The adjustablemember (the switch plate, signal lever, railway gate, or the like) whichis to be operated is held in one of its two alternative end positionsunder spring loading. In these points, the switch plates are, forexample, intended to be moved across by the moving vehicle or split andto return to their original position after the vehicle has crossed.

The installation of springs providing the resilient separation of thepoints in known switch or point-operating means requires a comparativelylarge amount of space and considerable time and difiiculty in assembly,and at the present time this is hardly acceptable in view of theincreasing emphasis on reduction in the size of the models and theirstructural components. It is very difiicult to provide in models ofsmall dimensions the space required for the angular driving means andlever systems, while on the other hand the individual parts must not bemade too small since this would impair their capacity to function andwould make them too expensive to manufacture.

German patent specification 802,385 discloses a signalling device inwhich a signal arm is coupled to a permanent magnet and the latter issubject to the attraction or repulsion of a reversible-poleelectromagnetic winding. To keep the parts in one position, Way clear, apowerful continuous current is required during this period to overcomethe effect of an additional return spring.

The object of the invention is to avoid the shortcomings of these knownarrangements and to provide means for operating the switches or pointsof electrical toy or modelrailways which require only a very smallamount of space, are simple to construct and maintain, and call for onlya small number of mechanical connecting elements.

The invention derives from the apparatus disclosed in the aforesaidGerman Patent 802,385 and resides, broadly, in the feature that thepermanent magnet is arranged for rotation between two fixed soft ironbars and in the plane of the latter, and is prevented, by two abutments,from assuming a position in which the magnetic axis thereof iscoincident with the axis through the two soft iron bars, that is to saythe abutments are so arranged that the permanent magnet cannot rest inthe two positions differing 180 from one another, prior to which it willencounter the slightest magnet resistance.

The switching procedure by rotation of the permanent magnet out of itsneutral position, between these two abutments, can be performed manuallyor electrically. In the latter case a reversible-pole magnetic field isinduced in the two opposed soft iron bars by the windings which areeffective in the same direction.

In both instances it is possible, using a single driving link to move aswitch plate of the points structure to and fro and to bring it into theresilient rest position.

In accordance with a particularly advantageous embodition.

Patented June 13, 1961 ment of the invention, a transmission elementarranged between the permanent magnet and the switch plate is such thatthis plate and the transmission element are not operatively coupleduntil the end of the reciprocating stroke. This saves a considerableamount of energy for operating the points and brings with it all theresultant advantages as regards the dimensioning of the article and theauxiliary electrical devices associated therewith.

Further advantageous details of the invention are indicated in theaccompanying drawings, in which the invention is illustrated by way ofexample. In these drawmgs:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of one embodiment of a pointconstruction in accordance with the invention, this being operablemanually,

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment in which theswitching movement is performed electrically,

FIGURE 3 illustrates a modification of a point op erating meansaccording to the invention.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1 the reference numeral 1depicts a permanent magnet having a disc like cross sectionalconfiguration which is rotatable between two soft iron bars 2 and 3about a vertical axis and is connected by a link 4 to the switch plate 5serving a branch line 6. Switch plate 5 may be provided with a pair ofswitch tongues 5' (shown in FIG. 3) which are each mounted proximate andmovable relative to an associated rail 6'. Switch plate 5' is pivotallymounted at E. The poles of the permanent magnet 1 are designated N and Sin the usual way. In the embodiment illustrated the permanent magnet 1is urged to the left into the position A-B but is prevented fromreaching this position by the plate 5 of the branch line 6 striking therails at point C. A pressure is set up at C or D, as the case may be,which is directly proportional to the magnetic restoring force of thepermanent magnet 1.

A vehicle from the branch line, crossing the points, shifts the switchplate 5 by the thickness of a rail and in so doing overcomes the forceof attraction between the permanent magnet and the soft iron bars,without pushing the permanent magnet beyond its neutral posi- When thepoints have been crossed, the switch plate 5 moves back into itsstarting position. If the permanent magnet 1 is turned to the right byhand in the direction of the arrow 7, that is beyond the neutral zoneF-G, the driving link 4, causes the switch plate 5 to follow, and thepermanent magnet '1 strives to orient itself into the position B-A,although this is prevented by the abutment of the plate 5 at D.

Thus, the svw'tch plate 5 is biased in both positions of the magnet 1,without involving a spring-biased, mechanical lever or a spring-loadedrocking pawl, which would require considerable space beneath the switchplate 5.

It is particularly advantageous, as illustrated in FIG- URE 3, to makethe distance travelled by the pivot pin 12, which connects the link 4 tothe permanent magnet 1, more than the path of travel of the pivot pin10, which couples the switch plate 5 to the link 4, and to arrange thelost motion in such a way that the positive coupling producing thestroke of the switch plate only comes into effect towards the end of theswitch-over operation. This result is advantageously produced by the useof an elongated hole 11 in the link 4.

The magnet 1 can be turned between the two soft iron bars 2 and 3 byhand or electrically, and in accordance with FIGURE 2 the two soft ironbars 2, 3 are each provided with a coil 8 which is wound in the same wayin each case, these being arranged in series and being supplied withdirect current.

With the current flowing in the direction indicated by 3 the arrow 9 inFIGURE 2, the magnetic flux, is disposed as indicated by N and S. As aresult the points are set to the straight brack. When the current flowsin the opposite direction to thatindica'ted by the arrow 9, the

polarity of the electro magnets is reversed, the permanent magnet turnsthrough about 90 in the direction of arrow 7, and the points are therebyset to the branch line.

Advantageously a direct current impulse is fed to the two electromagnetshaving a duration dependent on the inertia of the magnetic mass of thesystem. After the current is cut off, the attractive force between thepermanent magnet and the neutral soft iron bars acts, as in theembodiment of FIGURE 1, as a biasing effort in either of the twoalternative positions of the points.

What we claim is:

1. A device for operating switch tongues of yielding track switches fortoy or model railroads and magnetically biasing said switch tonguestoward their set operative positions, said device comprising a pivotallymounted plate, a pair of switch tongues supported on said plate, a railfor association with said switch tongues, said plate being movable toarrange said switch tongues proximate and movable relative to said rail,a pair of spaced soft iron bars, a permanent magnet extending betweenand rotatably disposed intermediate said iron bars, a link pivotallyconnected at one end to said permanent magnet and connected at the otherend to said plate, a pair of abutments associated with said switchtongues and said rail effective to stop said permanent magnet fromaligning its magnetic axis with the magnetic axis of said iron bars,said magnet being rotated away from the magnetic axis of said iron barsand connected to said link so that in any one of the two switchpositions it is operative to bias each of said switch tongues againstits associated rail.

2. A device for operating switch tongues of yielding track switches fortoy or model railroads and magnetically biasing said switch tonguestoward their set operative positions, said device comprising a pivotallymounted plate, a pair of switch tongues supported on said plate, a railfor association with said switch tongues, said plate being movable toarrange said switch tongues proximate and movable relative to said rail,a pair of spaced soft iron bars, a coil electrically associated with atleast one of said bars, current means for selectively energizing saidcoil, a permanent magnet extending between and rotatably disposedintermediate said iron bars, a link pivotally connected at one end tosaid permanent magnet and connected at the other end to said plate, apair of abutments associated with said switch tongues and said raileffective to stop said permanent magnet from aligning its magnetic axiswith the magnetic axis of said iron bars, said magnet being rotated awayfrom the magnetic axis of said iron bars and connected to said link sothat in any one of the two switch positions it is operative to bias eachof said switch tongues against its associated rail, and a slidingconnection between said other end of said link and said plate permittinglost motion travel of said magnet during shifting of said switch from aposition of one tongue proximate one rail to a position of the othertongue proximate the other rail.

3. A device for operating switch tongues of yielding track switches fortoy or model railroads and magnetically biasing said switch tonguestoward their set operative positions, said device comprising a pivotallymounted plate, a pair of switch tongues supported on said plate, a railfor association with said switch tongues, said plate being movable toarrange said switch tongues proximate and movable relative to said rail,a pair of spaced soft iron bars, a coil electrically associated with atleast one of said bars, current means for selectively energizing saidcoil, a permanent magnet extending between and rotatably disposedintermediate said iron bars, a link pivot ally connected at one end tosaid permanent magnet and connected at the other end to said plate, apair of abutments associated with said switch tongues and said raileffective to stop said permanent magnet from aligning its magnetic axiswith the magnetic axis of said iron bars, said magnet being rotated awayfrom the magnetic axis of said iron bars and connected to said link sothat in any one of the two switch positions it is operative to bias eachof said switch tongues against its associated rail, said link beingpivotally connected at said one end to said permanent magnet and beingconnected at said other end to said plate by means of a pin in slidingengagement with a slot thereby permitting lost motion travel of saidmagnet during a part of a shifting stroke of said switch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,366,350 Beil Ian. 25, 1921 1,548,940 Gill Aug. 11, 1925 1,561,452Alden Nov. 17, 1925 1,986,635 Hehre Jan. 1, 1935 2,079,525 Place May 4,1937 2,569,800 Cataldo Oct. 2, 1951 2,722,581 Wittke Nov. 1, 1955

